Life Is What Happens
by pens12
Summary: Sidney Crosby Fanfic
1. Chapter 1

"I need to return this before we do anything," Aletta said franticly, turning to her little brother, Joey as they hurried out of the crisp December air. She clutched the Nordstrom bag tightly in her hand, already frustrated from the traffic coming into the mall. It was exactly one week until Christmas, Tuesday the 18th, and the crowd at the mall was borderline disgusting. Finding a parking spot had been the accomplishment of the century in Aletta's fairly new grey Toyota Rav4.  
Aletta and Joey scurried through the people, making their way into Nordstroms so that Aletta could return the shirt that was one size too small for her oldest brother Marc. Finding gifts for her two older brothers Marc and Stephen was always somewhat of a hassle.  
The two made their way to the check-out counter, and Aletta waited in the line to make her returns while Joey stood patiently by her side with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans.  
"I don't know why you would get a _shirt_ anyway," he teased, smirking.  
"Marc is 29 years old. What do I get a 29 year old? It's such an awkward age, I've run out of ideas," Aletta laughed knowing it was a terrible excuse, and taking no offense to Joey poking fun at her poor gift selection. The truth was that she really hadn't had much time to think about gifts for all three of her brothers, and had taken the boring route; shirts, sweats, video games, etc. It had been an extremely busy week for her, being that only 2 days ago she had graduated from Bowling Green, and she had been busy with finals the week before. Now that she was in the act, cramming all her Christmas shopping didn't seem like such a bright idea.  
Aletta daydreamed as she stood in line, reflecting on where all the time had went. She graduated a semester late due to her transfer from Duquesne University to Bowling Green State University after the fall semester of her freshman year, but still graduated with a dual degree in International Business and French with a specialization in Marketing. She hoped to get into Fashion, but found herself still working for her Father's company as a secretary; a job she had done for a while. "Time to move on to bigger and better things," she silently thought. She dreamed of moving north to Montreal since she started school; French speaking territory. French was her passion, it came easy to her. However, the thought of being a school teacher bored her and she longed to travel. She loved fashion, and naturally gravitated towards that field of work. "It's not so easy, getting old", she continued thinking, before her thoughts were interrupted by Joey nudging her in the back.  
"Go! It's your turn," joey urged, his patients wearing thin. Aletta hurried towards the cashier and quickly returned the shirt, tucking the cash away in her wallet and burying it in her satchel-like purse. She slung the bag over her shoulder and met Joey by the escalator.  
"Marc and Stephen are the only ones I have yet to buy for. I need your help," she pleaded, looking at joey with an almost embarrassed expression.  
"Well I guess…", Joey cracked a smile and headed in the direction of the men's clothing department. "Marc needs a couple new ties, I know that, and Stephen said he wants a Steelers jersey but.. we can get that…," Joey's words trailed off as they approached the men's wear. Aletta continued behind her little brother, rifling through her purse, knowing she had brought a list. She was abruptly stopped by Joey's hand on her shoulder.  
"Holy shit," he mumbled in a low tone. His voice had a twinge of excitement in it, as he tried to stifle an almost girly giggle. Aletta looked at Joey, his eyes fixated on something across the formal section of men's wear. Her eyes darted in the same direction, searching for whatever was so appealing.  
"What…" Aletta said dumbly.  
"Oh come on. Over there," Joey snapped out of his trance and continued through the men's department pretending to be interested in the clothing. Aletta followed. "Sidney Crosby," he said plainly.  
She focused in on the dark curly locks coming from under his black hat. He wore a black jacket and jeans, and was browsing the dress shirts. Aletta was familiar with the hockey star. She had grown up around hockey, with all three of her brothers playing. Her family had always been a big hockey family, and she loved the sport. She understood it. She acted cool, calm, and collected, but couldn't deny that her nerves acted up when she laid eyes on him, naturally.  
Aletta caught herself staring a bit and he looked up to catch her gaze. She immediately looked away, feeling thoroughly embarrassed, as did he.  
"Should I get an autograph?", Joey questioned. Aletta couldn't tell if he was actually being serious, and let out a quiet chuckle.  
"No. Leave him alone, the guy is Christmas shopping for Christ's sake," she reasoned. "Now help me pick out what I need to get," she said, continuing down the aisle to the ties.  
"I like this one," Joey stated with a straight face, holding up a red tie with tiny reindeer printed all over it. Aletta burst out laughing and snatched the dangling tie from Joeys hand.  
"Serious!" she begged him to take it seriously.  
"Ok, ok! There's some over here," Joey walked toward the next display of ties down the aisle as Aletta looked over the ones she stood in front of.  
A few minutes passed and she saw a pair of hands working at the ties on the other side of the table, only to look up and be met by a pair of soft hazel eyes through the tall display in the middle of the table. The wild curls of dark brown hair escaped from under his hat, and his cheeks were rosy with the icy December air. His skin was smooth a pale, with long delicate fingers, and his abnormally plump lips looked so pink amongst his pale features. He was a very attractive guy, to say the least. Very well kept but simple.  
"Do you need a tie?, he cracked a crooked smile, looking back down at his potential selections. Aletta laughed nervously.  
"Christmas gift… Brothers." She explained shortly, her eyes fixated on the ties like they were the most interesting thing on the face of the earth.  
"Ah, gotcha," the figure said, not knowing what else to say. He walked along the table and continued down the row, walking by Joey.  
"Oh hey man," Joey said eagerly, like he had already knew him on a personal basis.  
"Whats up," he replied with a friendly smile that quickly faded back to normal. He loomed near the ties and dress shirts a little while longer.  
Then just like that, Sidney Crosby quietly slipped away.


	2. 2: Wham

When Aletta knew he wasn't watching, she let her eyes follow Sid down the aisle into the distance. _"Fuck,"_ she thought, looking at the view from behind. Her eyes flew to meet Joey's, who had this weirdly awkward smile on his face.  
"Well ya blew that one," he burst out laughing, "Uhhhh Christmas present… uhhhh brothers… uhhh uh uh," Joey imitated Aletta, exaggerating her awkwardness. Aletta couldn't help but laugh at herself too.  
"I feel bad," she said, trying to stifle her laughter. "That was just awkward."  
"No shit," Joey replied, having no mercy on his older sister's poor response to Sidney Crosby attempting to make any kind of conversation.  
"Well, now that that is over, can we please finish shopping? This place is a mad house ," Aletta said, giving up on the ties and walking down the aisle.  
"How about over there," Joey suggested, pointing to the watches. His eyebrows were raised. Aletta looked at them for a second, then answered.  
"That may be a good idea. He'd like that," she declared, remembering him admiring her dad's watch around Thanksgiving.

Aletta was carefully browsing the watches in their glass case. She liked silver for a guy, and had her sights set on a silver Movado watch with a black clock and white hands. Joey assured her over and over that he would love it. For a price of 300 dollars, Aletta wanted to make sure it was the right choice. Finally, she gave up analyzing and bought it at the jewelry counter. Her stomach growled, but she had Stephen to shop for still.  
"So, I'm thinking Stephen could use some stuff for his house. Appliances or something, what do you think?" Aletta asked Joey, who was leaning on the jewelry counter trying to mask his boredom.  
"He needs that, so yeah," Joey said matter-of-factly. He peeled his arm off the glass surface and started toward the second floor exit into the rest of the mall. They chatted about Joey's hockey team's success as of late and how his junior year of high school was going until they arrived at Sears, where they bee-lined to the home appliance department.

"He likes to make protein shakes a lot… what about a blender? " Aletta looked to Joey for an opinion.  
"I like this better," he stated, playing around with the Kenmore Bread Maker.  
"Oh yeah that'll be real useful, Stephen will be baking up a storm with his Break Maker," Aletta said sarcastically, entertaining Joey's joke and looking at the different blenders that all seemed to look exactly the same.  
"The blender is a possibility, there's so much cool stuff though," Joey said. He walked around the corner to see the rest of the appliances. Aletta walked the opposite direction where a Keurig caught her attention a few aisles down. It was perfect for a single guy that enjoys a good cup of coffee, she thought. She looked back to call out to Joey as she turned the corner, but before she could get any words out, WHAM!

Aletta let out a small squeal, and whipped her head back around to see what brick wall she had run into.  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sidney said quickly with a sincere tone to his voice, looking at Aletta who was a few inches below his eye level. She gave a quick smile.  
"It's ok," she said in a high pitched voice. Sid began walking again, past her, as Aletta stood where she was on the corner of the Coffee Makers aisle and Dishware aisle. She knew she looked like an idiot, not knowing whether to call out for Joey or not. Sid stopped, pretended to look at something, and interrupted Aletta's thoughts. "Guess the ties didn't work out for you, huh?" he smiled and looked at her once again, his eyes searing a feeling of attentiveness into her.  
"Well this is the second brother, I have three," she laughed nervously, her left hand playing with the ring on her right middle finger.  
"I see," Sid said, squinting to read a price tag on one of the enormous mixers, and looking back at Aletta. "Can I get your opinion on something?"  
"Sure," Aletta replied with ease now.  
"If someone likes to cook, is this useful? Be honest," Sid asked with a furrowed brow. Aletta couldn't help but smile.  
"Yeah, my mom has one she loves it, uses it all the time," she answered, motioning at the giant stainless steel machine.  
"Hm," Sid mused, "Well thanks… I'm Sidney by the way," he shot another toothy grin her way, desperately trying to be smooth, knowing he was probably failing. He held out his hand.  
"I'm Aletta, nice to meet you," Aletta replied and returned his friendly smile while turning a little red. She wished she could help it. She shook his hand; he had a firm hand shake and his hands were smooth. He removed his hand from hers and she let it fall to grip her slim waist, where her blouse was tucked into her high-waisted jet black jeans.

Joey walked between the two and Aletta peeled her eyes from Sidney's, snapping out of the moment. Joey was beginning to get confused.  
"Hey what about a Keurig?" she asked Joey in an attempt to break the awkward silence and grab her little brother's attention. Before Joey could give his opinion, Sid spoke up. Their eyes flew to him.  
"I've got one, I get a lot of use out of it, if my opinion's worth anything," he said in a cheerful voice. Joey and Aletta both looked to each other, and Aletta grabbed the box off the shelf. Joey voluntarily took it from her. The awkward silence set in once again, and Sid stood with his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans. Finally, Joey decided to take control.  
"Well, you wanna check out?" he asked Aletta, eyebrows raised.  
"I think so…" Aletta left her words hanging in the air.

Deep down inside she was disappointed that this would be the only time she would talk to Sid, not just cause he was Sidney Crosby, but because she could tell he was way more than that. His looks didn't hurt either, she thought. Joey began walking out of the kitchen appliance department, and Aletta softly smiled at Sid, then turned on her heel with faint hesitation, and followed her brother. Sid nodded, acknowledging her quiet departure, but began to panic.

"Aletta," he spat out her name uncontrollably and at a louder volume than before. Aletta felt a buzz of energy jolt through her body. She spun around, her hair flipping over her shoulder and her eyes wide. "Can I get your number?"  
_"What the fuck am I doing, that was creepy,"_ he thought to himself, but none of his panic shown on his face, his soft eyes conveying an inviting expression.  
"Oh…" Aletta was taken aback by such an abrupt request. "Yeah, sure," she smiled and Sid approached her as she dug in her purse for a pen and paper. She found her list of gift ideas for her brothers and folded it in half so that the blank side was showing. She scribbled her number down as she held the paper against her thigh, then looked up, handing the paper to Sid and brushing the stands of hair out of her eyes. He took the paper and looked up to meet her eyes.  
"Thanks," he nodded. He immediately buried the piece of paper in his pocket for safe keeping. Aletta imitated his gesture, nodding also, her lips in a tight grin showing no teeth. She held her gaze with his eyes for a moment, then turned and proceeded to leave. She glanced over her shoulder at him before she disappeared into the aisle way.


	3. 3: Home For The Holidays

**_Hi all! I know the story is moving slow! I'm really sorry, just trying to get things rolling a bit! Bear with me :)._**

Aletta went on with her normal business after the mall, as did Sidney. He left for Cole Harbour the next day; Wednesday. Aletta went home to her apartment in Wexford and secretly awaited his phone call that never came. It didn't discourage her too much, she didn't think anything of it. She went to Christmas Eve and Christmas day at her parent's house with her brothers and their girlfriends, and Joey blabbed all about their run in with Sid the Kid at Ross Park mall as they sat around the dining room table at Christmas day dinner. He didn't spare any details, which made Aletta look even more awkward than she had in reality.  
"He got Aletta's number though," he finished. Aletta nearly choked on the filet mignon she had been scarfing down in an attempt to ignore the conversation. Everyone turned to her. She looked up, then over at her little brother.  
"Yeah," was all she said._ "What do they want me to say," _she thought, her eyes darting around the table at everyone's expressions.  
"Really! Well that's wonderful," Aletta's mother spoke up, "Any dates in the near future?"  
Aletta didn't know what to say, considering he never called, and the smile on her mother's face made it even harder for her to admit to that.  
"He didn't call, so I'm not sure," Aletta replied as she poked at her food. She looked up and flashed a smile at her mom to assure her that it wasn't a big deal.

A little later, Aletta and her three brothers were sitting around the tv upstairs in the game room. The three guys were testing out Joey's new xbox, playing "Zombies", as Aletta watched in disbelief.  
"This is gross," she blurted out. The guys laughed, but held their concentration. "What is that noise? Who's screaming like that?"  
"The zombies!" Joey exclaimed, as if she should already know that. Aletta stared into the screen, dazed by the sounds of gunfire and ghostly moans. She was twisting the piercing on her cartilage back and forth when she was jolted from her trance. Her phone was violently vibrating on the coffee table next to the leather chair she sat in. She stared at it for a minute, then sat up and reached for it.

_"Merry Christmas, darling. Hope you get everything you want and more!"  
_Aletta smiled at her Aunts text. Her mother's sister was like her best friend and her second mother.  
_"Thanks Aunt Jo, love you (: "  
_Her fingers flew across the screen of her iPhone and she pressed send in a flash. Just as she was about to retire her phone to the coffee table, she felt the vibration in her hand again. She flipped it over and slid her finger across the screen to unlock it. She didn't recognize the number. Her left eyebrow raised.

Sid sat in the homey living room of his parent's house in Nova Scotia, completely full from the massive Ham dinner his mom had made for her family and relatives. He was sitting on an ottoman, slouched over with his hands folded and his elbows resting on his knees. His parents were still sitting at the kitchen table chatting with others, but his sister was sitting on the living room floor showing him new goalie gear she had received earlier in the month as an early Christmas present.  
"That's awesome Tay," he mused, "I'll have to test it out, make sure it works right". He smiled wide and Taylor giggled and beamed with excitement. Sid rose from the ottoman and started toward the hallway, swiping his flip phone off of the coffee table in the middle of the living room on his way out. He went down the dark hallway and flicked on the light to the last room on the right, which illuminated the little chunk of his childhood/teenage years that was frozen in time; his old bedroom. These days Sid lived in a lavish lakehouse about fifteen minutes away, but it never hurt to be reminded of where you came from. He stepped into the room that was encased in blue walls, with shelves that showed off all of his accomplishments. Facing the shelves sat his full size bed, which had a white down comforter on it with a plethora of blue pillows.

He plopped down at the end of the bed and looked down at the chunk of metal that was burning a hole in his hands; his phone. He flipped it open and shut a few times, thinking. He didn't like getting pestered by relatives about who he was dating, AKA nobody. He especially didn't like his mother getting on him about not dating. She worried about him, but she didn't understand how hard it was. She was constantly wondering what he was doing, who he was spending his time with, and if he was leading an emotionally healthy life. "I've been hanging out with this girl, her name is 'Gym'. G-Y-M. She's a real keeper", he'd joke over the phone. The lockout may have very well drove him mad with how much time he's spent working out, trying to kill time.  
_"Maybe it is time that I find someone,"_ He thought, "_It's weird if I text her, she barely knows me. I barely know her. I don't even know her last name."  
_Sid stared at his phone for a few more moments.  
"_Whatever. I'm doing it. I'm gonna do it. Fuck it."_  
His fingers hovered over the buttons, not knowing what to type. He had entered Aletta's number in his contacts already, just to be safe, and now he was staring at a blank text template that urged him to type in a witty message, "_something smooth,"_ he thought.  
He thought of how awkward this message was going to sound and cringed._  
"Hi Aletta, I'm Sidney Crosby, wanna go out."  
"Hey, I'm an idiot, how does dinner sound."  
"I know we just met, but I'm going to creep you out and ask you out to dinner anyways."  
_Finally, Sid's fingers started working at the keyboard, and he settled on a practical message in the hopes that it didn't sound too weird.

Aletta read the message from the unknown number carefully.  
_"Hey, it's Sid, we met last week. Hope you're having a nice holiday… I'm out of the country, but I've got a flight back to Pittsburgh on Sunday. I was wondering if you'd like to meet me for dinner."  
_All she did was read it over and over in confusion. She wasn't expecting anything to come of her little number exchange. The expression on her face was pure dumbfounded-ness, if that were even a word.  
"What the hell," the words slipped out of her mouth like word vomit. She immediately bit her lip and looked at her brothers who were looking at her for an explanation. "Nothing," she mumbled, turning back to her phone. She started composing a message to send back, and after multiple back spaces and corrections, she accepted what her message said and pressed send.

_"Hi! I'm having a great holiday, thanks, I hope yours is too! Dinner sounds good."_

The phone buzzed again after a few minutes, and she took a breath.

_"Great, Are you busy Sunday night? I can meet you at my house at 7:00 if that's ok. I can give you the address then."_

She let the breath out when she finished reading, forgetting that she was suffocating herself. He was so organized and took control. Aletta was pleasantly surprised. She assumed he was probably very busy and was used to scheduling things. She didn't know what to think about meeting him at his house, but took the chance, as bold as that was.

_"Yeah Sunday is good for me! See you then."_

She wasn't sure how to feel about it after sending that last message that set everything in motion, but it was happening so she might as well get used to it, she told herself._  
_


	4. 4: Nerves

**This chapter is a lot of Sid! Hope you all like it! Just trying to get you acquainted with his character a little bit more (:**

Sid shut his flip phone and firmly grasped it, encasing it in his long fingers. He couldn't put his finger on how he felt just yet. He remained at the end of the bed and stared at his trophies lined up on the shelves mounted on the wall in front of him. The room was dim due to the two light bulbs that were out on his ceiling fan. He noticed it and made his way across the hallway to the bathroom, where there were new light bulbs under the sink. He grabbed two and returned to his bedroom, getting up on his bed to reach the fixture. When he was done, he took one last observation of the room as he stood in the entrance, then turned, flicked the light, and pulled the door shut.  
"Come get desert honey!" he heard his mom from the kitchen. He rounded the corner and grinned at his mom, who he practically towered over.  
"Thanks mom," he said with a sincere tone while she gave him a gentile pat on the back. His mom was always very happy when Sidney came home since he never got to come home very often. He grabbed a plate of warm apple pie and sat next to Taylor. Seeing as his aunts, uncles, and a few cousins had asked every question they could about the lockout, and hockey in general, the room was not as boisterous as it had been earlier. They enjoyed desert and some coffee, and turned the attention to the younger kids.

After Sid helped his parents see their relatives off around 10:00, he gathered his shoes, coat, and hat.  
"Dinner was really good mom, thanks," he said, leaning against the entrance of the kitchen where his mother was finishing putting away the fancy dishes they had used during their meal.  
"I'm glad you liked it," she answered over her shoulder and smiled before going back to wiping the china off and placing it in the cabinet in the corner of the kitchen.  
"I'm going to get going," Sid said after a moment of watching her. He walked over to her and bent down for her to kiss his forehead, just like always. "love you".  
"Love you too hun," his mom replied as her hand grazed his back. Sid walked out of the kitchen into the living room.  
"I'll see you tomorrow Dad, I'm beat," he laid his hand on his dad's shoulder, who was sitting on the same ottoman Sid had been perched on earlier. He was crouched over and helping Taylor with a 500 piece puzzle.  
"Alright, be careful driving home," his dad stood to give him a hug. Sid made his way over to the front entrance and dropped his shoes to put them on.  
"See ya Tay," he nodded in Taylor's direction as he wiggled his foot into his tennis shoe. He threw his black coat on and topped it off with his hat, then stepped out into the cold winter .

Sid drove his fifteen minute drive back "home" listening to the top 40 hits of 2012 turned down low. It was still weird for him to go home alone rather than be with his family 24/7. However, he was very at peace lately, which was something he hadn't felt in a long time due to his concussion and a combination of other things. With the lockout, he was out of the limelight somewhat, and it was relaxing. When he returned to his house, he punched in the code on the garage door and walked through the garage into the mud room/laundry room. Only when he came back to his new house at the lake, was he reminded of his loneliness. His life reminded him of the Perfectly Lonely song by John Mayer, and he chuckled to himself at the thought. The house was so still and silent as it sat in the darkness of the woods. He didn't get this kind of atmosphere back in Pittsburgh.

After slipping his shoes off, he threw his keys on the coffee table in the open front entrance and went straight to the kitchen to turn a light on. He grabbed a moosehead out of the fridge and leaned on the granite-topped island amidst the mahogany clad Kitchen.

As he swigged his beer, his phone vibrated that obnoxious vibrate again. _"It's not so obnoxious when it could be her though…"_ he thought, thinking of Aletta and getting excited. A sly grin spread across his lips. He dug in his jeans, pulled it out and flipped it open. Immediately his small bit of excitement deflated. Melanie.

_"Merry Christmas Sid! Miss you ;)"_

He glanced at the clock on the stove, it was going on 11. "_Probably hammered",_ he thought, and snapped his phone shut. He had struggled with Melanie for a while now. He'd come home and hook up with her and felt like shit afterwards, but she felt no remorse at all, as long as she got a good lay in. Deep down he knew the real reason she" fancied" him, but didn't want to admit it to himself. His parents didn't even know about her, she was a slut. He cringed at the thought, but that was the truth. He'd often wonder why he should care or feel bad if she didn't mind doing it, but that wasn't the kind of person he was, and he knew it. He also wondered why he'd feel so badly after they would hook up and not speak for another couple of weeks or months. Was it because he cared about her? Was it because he didn't like being "that guy"? Or was it because she _disgusted_ him deep down? He had built up very hostile feelings for her over the years because she wouldn't let him go, and she took advantage of him, and he knew it.

_"Whatcha doing for new years? Staying here I hope, come over."_

He read her second message, then shut the phone once again. "_Don't do it,"_ he urged himself. However, he opened the phone back up and began to type.

_"I can't, I'm busy."_

Sid walked over to the dark leather couch in the living room and threw his phone on it after turning it off. He turned the tv on to the NHL network to give the house some life, and after a few minutes of standing and watching, he headed upstairs for a shower.

Aletta had left her house around 10:30, and was now relaxing on her bed with her laptop illuminating the room. Her queen size bed was quite comfy, and she was wrapped up in a blanket from the sofa. She sipped a glass of wine and shopped around online for ideas of what to wear on Sunday night. She gulped down the last of her glass, then she flew to her closet, rifling through the hung up clothing.  
"What am I doing," she said aloud. She pulled the closest doors shut and went out into the kitchen area where she poured herself another glass of wine. She was already getting anxious over the idea of this date, and not necessarily a good anxious. Dates in general made Aletta nervous, hence why she wasn't dating anyone in the first place, but Sid ambushed her through the telephone, she thought, remembering his oh-so-forward texts. Taking another sip of wine, she shoved the thoughts of awkward dates further back into her mind.  
_"I wonder if he's nervous,"_ she thought, letting her mind wonder to Sidney, whose sexy frame and soft face popped into her mind. She bit her lip at the thought of his plump red lips and his muscular build. Instead of feeling anxious and nervous, she began to feel excited and relaxed. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was him, she wasn't sure.

After finishing her second glass of Merlot, Aletta headed back to her room and stripped down before wrapping a white towel around her. She entered the bathroom attached to her bedroom, and started the shower. Her reflection caught her eye in the mirror, so she turned, examining her features.

Aletta had long, straight, lighter brown hair that had been highlighted by a few dirty blonde streaks that were natural. It was straight but had a tiny bit of frizz to it, and it was thick. Her skin had an olive undertone, and she was relatively tan for it being winter, due to her Italian heritage. Her eyebrows were full but shaped, and they were darker than the hair atop her head. No freckles, but a couple beauty marks were visible on her face, at least under the harsh bathroom light. Her jaw line wasn't harsh, but she had high cheek bones and dimples when she smiled. She ran a finger down her neck and across her collar bone to the cross that laid on her chest, which she received from her grandfather who was gone. Her eyes wondered back up to her face. She wore makeup, but very little; mascara and a bit of neutral colored eye shadow with some sparkle to it. Her dark brown eyes popped without heavy dark makeup masking them.

She leaned closer to the mirror, baring her teeth to inspect them. Satisfied, she dropped her towel and stepped into the steaming water.

**Sunday Morning**

Sid was on his flight to Pittsburgh, while Aletta was still sleeping. The flight was scheduled to land at 11:05 am, and Sidney's mind was racing. He had been up since 4 am and was completely exhausted.

Meanwhile, Aletta began to stir around 10:15 am. She sat up in bed in her oversized tee shirt and boy shorts, her hair a tousled mess as it hung over her left shoulder. Swinging her legs over the edge of her cushioned kingdom of pillows and puffy comforter, Aletta made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a greek yogurt from the fridge. Normally, she would go into her dad's office to do clerical work, but she wasn't going back until after New Year's. During the small break, she was working on her resume which needed a few touch ups. She didn't plan on working for her dad much longer, in fact she planned on moving north. She had discussed all the options with her parents, and with her French degree, had set her heart on a few retail businesses in Montreal, Quebec. Her portfolio was already put together, which included a narrative, her resume, references, and a number of other papers.

Aletta's day was planned out. She changed into some yoga pants and a fitted tank with her sports bra underneath, and headed to the yoga studio down the road for her morning workout. She had discovered her love for yoga and pilates back in college, and she was addicted. After her workout ended at noon, she stopped at Panera for lunch with a couple girls from yoga, including her good friend Jaclyn. They chatted about New Year's plans, and Aletta thanked god that tonight didn't come up in conversation, because she wasn't sure how to handle telling the ladies, she'd rather keep it to herself.

After lunch, Jaclyn came back to Aletta's apartment around 2:00. Aletta keyed them in, and the two sat facing each other on separate couches.  
"I'm really excited for New Year's," Jaclyn chimed, "Speaking of that, do you have any heels I can borrow?"  
"I have no idea, but we can check," Aletta replied blankly, "Oh! Wait, I need to show you these shoes, I'm in love," she giggled, jumping up and running to her closet to retrieve the deep read mary janes she bought at Nordstroms. While she was digging for the box in her closet, her phone vibed on the coffee table in the living room.  
"You have a text message!" Jaclyn called. Aletta thought nothing of it. Jaclyn leaned over and couldn't help but peek at who it was, but it was a random number, "Some random number," Jaclyn added. Aletta's eyes widened.  
"oh, um, I'll be right there," she finally answered.  
Jaclyn read the message;

_Hey, my address is 407 Lincoln Ave. I'll let you know where to park, just call me when you're close._

"Hot date tonight?," Jaclyn inquired, feeling confused, "who is this mystery man," she joked. Aletta stumbled into the living room, snatching the phone off of the table.  
"It's no one," she laughed, "just a guy". Jaclyn looked at Aletta suspiciously.  
"hm," she mumbled, "who?"  
"His name is Sidney," Aletta blurted.  
"Sidney…" Jaclyn waited for the rest of the name, as the name Sidney didn't ring any bells right away. Aletta stared at the carpet and waited, standing with her hand on her hip and strands of hair dangling in front of her face. She looked up and saw that Jaclyn's eyes had grown wider and her mouth was slowly opening in realization.  
"What," Aletta probed. She turned and walked into the kitchen where she began nervously putting the clean dishes in the dishwasher away. "_Why is this such a big deal?",_ she thought, a tad bit annoyed. It was beginning to scare her, actually.  
"Sidney who," Jaclyn raised her voice an octave as she asked. Aletta let a breath out and continued reaching for dishes.  
"Crosby," she answered, feeling creeped out by her own self that she already knew his last name without asking him it. She shivered inside.  
Jaclyn shot up from the couch and was at the dishwasher in a second.  
"Were you not gonna tell me?!" she screeched, and as Aletta opened her to answer that question, Jaclyn fired another, "What are you wearing?!"  
Aletta giggled and placed her hands on Jaclyn's cheeks, "I am telling you now, aren't I? And I don't know yet really, probably one of my black dresses and the new heels I wanted to show you".  
"That'll look hot," Jaclyn grinned and nodded, and Aletta laughed again. She looked down at the text message from Sidney again and figured she should probably answer. Jaclyn went into Aletta's room and Aletta shot him a message back.

_Ok! Thanks (: I'll talk to you then_

This was all surreal to her. She barely knew this person and she was agreeing to meet him at his residence, and on top of that she hadn't been on a formal date in a long time. _What am I getting myself into, _she wondered. Shaking the thoughts out her head, she walked into her room where Jaclyn was calling for her and holding a little black dress above the deep red high heels. Aletta smiled and cocked her head to one side. Her eyes darted to the clock beside her bed; 2:35. She had a whole four hours.  
"Try it on," Jaclyn urged her, shoving the dress toward her.  
"Jac, I need to shower," Aletta protested. Jaclyn agreed and laid the dress on Aletta's bed for later.  
"You have to let me know how the date goes, anyway," she said in a stern tone, but quickly broke into a smile. She walked out into the open floor plan of the apartment and gathered her things. "I should go though, let you get stuff done, I have a hot date too tonight in case you were wondering… it's with my sofa. We have a great relationship."  
Aletta jokingly rolled her eyes at Jaclyn for poking fun at her "hot date". She walked Jaclyn to the door.  
"I'll let ya know," she assured her.  
"You better!" Jaclyn said in a half joking manner as she descended the stairs. Aletta slowly closed the door and smiled to herself.

Sidney had taken a two hour nap in the time between when he arrived at his Apartment and 5:00, and he felt rejuvenated. His preparation process was short, so he reclined on the couch and snacked on an apple, entertained by Couples Retreat on tv in the meantime. However, Aletta was a different story.

Aletta took a shower soon after Jaclyn had left, lotioned her long legs, and sat indian-style on her bed checking her emails and surfing the web for an hour. When 5:00 rolled around, she dried the remaining wetness in her thick hair, and warmed up her curling iron. She sat wrapped in her white silk robe in front of her full length mirror on her door and carefully applied her makeup, being sure to not overdo it. Her eyelids sparkled, and her eye lashes were long and curled. Feeling satisfied with her face, she took the curling iron to her long locks, and made soft curls at the bottom of each strand. Finally, Aletta grabbed her black sheer panty hoes and wiggled herself into them, being careful not to put a run in them. She peeled the little black dress from the edge of her bed and dawned it when she was comfortable in her nylons, then she slipped into her four inch wine red heels, which added a bit of spice to the outfit.

When the final product was prepared, Aletta walked in front of the full length mirror to inspect. She looked beautiful and felt confident. She ran her hands down her body. The dress hit just above her knee, and caressed her figure from knee to shoulder, bringing out the hour glass shape of her body. She had a pretty thin waste but definitely had feminine hips, and she was never disappointed in her bust which was a decent size. At the top, the black dress had capped sleeves that flattered her arms and a neckline that trailed straight across her chest but had a tiny V at the cleavage area. At the bottom, her shoes elongated her legs and forced her claves to strain. The heels had a thin strap that buckled over her ankle, adding a vintage feel to the outfit.

Aletta floated into the kitchen where the stove told her it was nearing 6:00. She grabbed her purse and phone and returned to her bedroom, double checking her face in the bathroom mirror and spritzing a drop of perfume on her neck. On her way out, she grabbed her beige dress coat, threw it on and was out the door. She locked her apartment, and started down the stairs while she pulled up the address Sidney had sent her on her phone.

The drive to Pittsburgh was easy, seeing as she had done it a thousand times and the snow from the previous day was cleared off of the roads for the most part. She drove in silence and nervously glanced at herself several times in her rearview. Although she was nervous on the inside it didn't show on the outside. Her phone buzzed in the cup holder next to her.

_On your way? I hope the drive is ok. Call if you get lost._

Aletta smiled as she read Sidney's text, and wrote back.

_Yep on my way, probably 20 or 15 minutes away_

When she arrived in the city, she let the GPS on her phone do the work. She turned many corners and twisted through the downtown streets until she popped out onto a quiet back street that read Lincoln. Immediately, with shaky fingers, she pulled up Sid's message and called him. It rang a few times before his voice was heard on the other line. His voice was strange to her, something she wasn't used to.

"Hello"

"Hey, I'm on Lincoln, I think," Aletta laughed nervously as she lurked down the road in her Rav4.

"Are you in a Toyota?" Sidney asked with a certainty in his voice.

"Yes"

"Ok, you can park alongside the sidewalk right where you are," he instructed, and she pulled the car underneath the dim street light on the side of the road. It made her nervous to think he was watching her from his window, which he obviously was. "I'll come down," he finished.

"Ok thank you," Aletta smiled, and hung up the phone. She threw it in her small bag, threw the car in park and turned the engine off, quickly emerging out onto the street that overlooked the illuminated city. When she turned the corner around her car, she was met by the gaze of a handsome man that looked like a real charmer out of an old black and white movie.

**ATTN: I'm already writing the rest of the date, I just wanted to break it up so it wasn't so long! Stay tuned!**


	5. 5: Since I'm Stuck With You

Sidney stood smiling with his hands in the pockets of his black slacks, his silver belt buckle shined in the street light. His baby blue button down was unbuttoned at the top, and the enormous silver watch he wore stuck out of the cuff at the wrist. His hair was trimmed and gelled, and as a cold breeze blew by Aletta caught the intoxicating scent of his cologne. The two made eye contact when Aletta came out from behind the car, and a jolt went through her body. She flashed him a smile and cast her eyes down on the side walk as she approached him. When she looked up at him, he spoke.  
"Hungry?" he asked, still grinning and holding his gaze on Aletta. Aletta nodded.  
"Starved," she managed. Sid turned and led her to the garage behind him that she had failed to notice. A black range rover was parked inside of it, and she followed Sid to the passenger door. His dress pants fit him to a T, and really showed off his backside which made it hard for Aletta to keep her eyes from wondering.  
"Do you like Italian?" he asked, looking into her eyes while he held the car door open for her.  
"I love it," she answered again. His white, toothy grin reappeared and he gave a single nod.  
"Great". He shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. He shook the vehicle when he climbed in. Sidney backed out of the small garage that was underneath his apartment on the corner, and drove out to the main street of South Side.  
"There's this Italian restaurant in Shadyside that I was going to take us to, if that's alright with you," Sidney glanced over at Aletta for her approval.  
"Sounds like a good plan to me," she smiled back at him.  
"You look a little Italian," Sidney said, trying to start conversation.  
"I am, I'm half Italian. My mother is French," she explained, still gazing out the windshield. Sid saw this as a perfect time to get the awkward 'what is your last name' question out of the way.  
"So you probably have one of those really Italian last names," he grinned, and Aletta laughed.  
"I guess you can say that, it's Spinelli," she stated.  
"Aletta Ambrosio," Sid repeated.  
"I like that name," he smiled at her again from the driver's seat, his left hand draped over the wheel and his right resting on the shift stick.  
"Thank you," Aletta began turning a little rosy, and silence came between the two, so she spoke up. "What's your last name?" She looked at him inquisitively and he glanced at her to see if she was laughing. He thought she was joking, but she was trying to be serious. Aletta wanted to treat this situation as normally as she could.  
"Crosby," he answered. He couldn't help but let the confusion he felt be shown all over his face. Aletta nodded in satisfaction and left him with his confusion.

He drove them through Oakland, and ended up in Shadyside. He parked the car on the street in front of the Italian restaurant that read "Girasole". When they walked in, Sidney had already made a reservation and approached the hostess' stand with his first name. They followed the hostess to a booth in the back of the restaurant, not hidden but definitely out of the way. The restaurant was very elegant. The lights were down low with small candles on the table and fancy music playing in the background. White table cloths made every table look uniform. The hostess set their menus down, but they did not open them right away. When the waitress approached them just a minute later, Aletta asked for a glass of merlot and Sid asked for the same, accompanied by a glass of ice water.

"Sure thing," the waitress smiled at Sidney and Aletta watched her, it was entertaining. Sid didn't seem to realize when women were checking him out, or maybe he just chose to ignore it. He was on a date with her, afterall. She watched him thank the waitress and he turned his attention to her, folding his hands on the table. Aletta opened her menu, not knowing what else to do.  
"You look nice," Sidney said in a shy manner, attempting to break the ice.  
"Thanks, you look great too," Aletta looked up from her menu and made eye contact with him. _God, his eyes are fantastic_, she thought to herself.  
"So tell me about yourself," Sid started, skipping all the petty chit chat. _Jeez he's not screwin' around,_ Aletta continued in her mind.  
"Like what," she giggled, not knowing where to start and feeling uncomfortable about talking about herself.  
"Anything," Sidney urged and smiled wider at her giggles.  
"Well, I'm from Pittsburgh, near the Wexford area," she began, "I have three brothers, like I said. They're 16, 26, and 29. And I just graduated from Bowling Green."  
"Oh really? What'd you get a degree in," Sid asked, his brow furrowed.  
"I have a dual degree in International Business and French, with a specialization in marketing," she explained, and his eyebrows raised. This intrigued him. He remembered his French speaking days spent in Rimouski.  
"That's awesome," he admitted.  
"Yeah, I graduated at the end of this semester because I transferred from Duquesne when I was a freshman," she said. She took a sip of her wine, and he did the same. "What about you?" she asked.  
"I'm from Nova Scotia," he answered, "I play hockey for the Penguins," he said awkwardly while wringing his hands. "I didn't go to college but I'm doing what I love. I've been blessed," he continued and Aletta nodded. "So if you just graduated, you're 22 then," Sid stated, turning the attention back to her.  
"Yep, 22 soon to be 23 in February," she watched Sidney look over his menu but knew he was still listening. "What's your age, if you don't mind me asking," she inquired. Sid laughed a little.  
"I'm 25," he looked up to see if she reacted. _Two or three years isn't bad ,_she thought. "August 7, 1987," he interrupted her thought.  
"Ah… 87," Aletta looked back down to her menu and Sidney seemed amused that should would put that connection together. Before things got silent again, the waitress approached their table about.  
"How are we doing? Ready to order or do you need a few more minutes," she asked in an uppity manner and looked at Sidney for an answer, who looked at Aletta.  
"I think I'm ready, if you are," Aletta shrugged. Sidney nodded.  
"What can I get you," she smiled, still looking at Sidney and expecting him to order. He looked to Aletta, still. Her cheeks turned a bit red. Finally, the waitress turned her attention to Aletta.  
"I'll have the Pesce del Giorno," she said. Her grandfather's Italian helped her out with the foreign words.  
"I'll have the same, please," Sid took both menus and handed them to the waitress who, at this point, didn't bother to linger. "You copied me," he joked. Aletta laughed quietly and brushed the strands out of her face and tucked them behind her ear.

The two enjoyed dinner while laughing at each other's various stories and Aletta was feeling the effects of the second glass of wine she had accepted. Sid had graciously declined the waitress' offer for a refill since he had to drive home, but had told the waitress that Aletta "would like another".  
"Would _you_ like another glass," Sid asked, leaning towards her.  
"Oh, I don't know," Aletta had said skeptically.  
"She would like to have another, please," he decided, and turned his attention back to Aletta who was staring at him. "What?"  
"Nothing," she smiled. She was taken off guard by his forward manner, considering the fact that he had no 'game' when it came to talking to the ladies, apparently. She liked that he could handle things though. He was very confident and mature.  
"Do you like that wine?" he asked, looking at the wine list.  
"It's very good," Aletta answered, "Kind of bitter but I like it."  
"What is your favorite kind?" he continued, "You must be an expert, miss Italian," he grinned and cocked his head to one side. Aletta giggled in a girlish way.  
"Well I really like Moscato , it's more sweet," she explained, "I really don't drink that much wine, my nonnu used to be a grape farmer in Italy so it's been forced upon me, if you will". She cracked a smile and finished the last sip of wine.  
"You have good taste," Sidney watched as she spoke and admired her eyes, her lips, everything. He thought she was beautiful. He snapped himself out of his teenage boy daze and cleared his throat. "Ready?"  
Aletta agreed, and they slid out of the booth. She grabbed her coat and started putting it on. Sid quickly grabbed it for her and let her slip her arms into it. The two made their way back out of the restaurant, and not many people were around since the rush had come and gone and it was now 9:00. Sidney opened Aletta's car door for her and made sure she was in before taking his place in the driver's seat. The drive back was quieter than the drive to the restaurant, but they were ok with it.

When they arrived on Sidney's street, Aletta made sure she had all of her things. She clutched her keys in her hands, and after he pulled the car into the garage, she let herself out. They both walked to the back of the car. Aletta stood just outside the garage.  
"Thanks for dinner," Aletta began.  
"I'm really glad you liked it, thanks for coming," Sidney responded. He started becoming fidgety; putting his hands in his pockets, taking them out, running one through his hair. Aletta waiting a second, then looked at her car. She didn't want to go. Sidney took a few leisurely steps toward her.  
"Bye Sid," she smiled, and looked up from the ground at him. She slowly turned and began walking to her car, her head down concentrating on her steps. Sidney stood outside the garage now, watching her.  
_I choked, _Sid thought, _I should have asked her to come in.  
_ A car drove by and beeped, Sid put his hand up in a waving gesture. He wanted to call out to Aletta and invited her in but he couldn't. He just stood there watching her walk away.  
"oh my god," Aletta said, her voice cracking. Her panicked voice yanked Sid out of his self-pitying thoughts. Sid had seen that she stopped behind her car and was staring at it.  
"What's wrong," Sid began walking towards her. When he came closer he saw that the back end of her car on the left side had been badly scratched with a small dent. The rear bumper was partially hanging off. His jaw dropped. Aletta looked to him for advice. She looked like a deer in headlights.  
"You can't drive that," Sidney stated with his hands on his hips. Aletta threw her head back, letting out a sigh.  
_Great. This is so embarrassing, _she thought, _and expensive._  
She rubbed the back of her neck, and Sid placed a hand on her lower back which caught her attention. "Come inside," he urged. He looked at her with intensity. In the midst of all the chaos going on in Aletta's head, his voice and his eyes melted her down to nothing. She was like putty in his hands, but she trusted that he knew what he was doing. They would figure it out. Without protest, she began walking back towards the garage.  
"I'm really sorry," she said. Her eyes pleaded for forgiveness.  
"Don't be," Sidney said. He smiled softly to calm her and opened to basement door of the apartment. "I'm going to call the police to report a hit and run. Not that they'll find anyone, but it's just standard procedure kinda," he began up the stairs and Aletta followed. She didn't know what to say, she felt so bad and she was bummed out, and on top of that she was embarrassed. "It'll be alright," Sidney assured her, he read her mind. It was all over her face.

The staircase leading up to the rest of Sidney's apartment came out in a living room area covered in off white carpet. There were huge windows along the wall that looked down on the street and out at sparkling city. It was quite a sight to see, with the snow lying on the grass and flurries beginning to fall from the starry sky.

In the corner of the living room, there was a huge flat screen TV, which was surrounded by tan leather couches and a recliner. When she looked further into the apartment, she saw that the kitchen was in the back corner. It had hard wood floors and an island with a few stools at it. Long lights hung from the ceiling over top of the island, which Aletta had noticed when Sidney turned them on. She took off her heels and placed them by the doorway she stood in, and then accompanied Sid in the kitchen. He was already on the phone with the police reporting the hit and run. Aletta continued letting her eyes wonder throughout the spacey apartment, there was another set of stairs that led up to a loft area.

"Can I get you a drink," Sidney asked. He searched in the fridge for options. "Water? A beer?". Before Aletta could answer he disappeared into the pantry. "This?", he asked with his eye brows raised. He was holding a bottle of the wine that Aletta had said she liked and was smiling proudly. Aletta laughed, which made Sid feel better since he knew how stressed she was. "Come on," he urged, still holding the bottle like he was trying to sell it. Aletta looked at him skeptically. She didn't know how she was going to get home, considering the bumper of her car was dragging on the ground.  
_Just do it, _she thought.  
"Ok fine," she let out her breath and smiled tightly. Sid was much more lively now in his own place, partly because that's where he could act like himself and partly because he was trying to keep Aletta's spirit up. He took the large bottle over to the counter and screwed the bottle opener in. Aletta made herself comfortable on one of the stools at the island and watched the back of Sidney. The sleeves of his button down were now rolled up a few times, and his forearm and bicep muscles tensed and relaxed with every screw. His chisled back muscles were outlined beneath the shirt and his backside was a thing of beauty. He stood on the wooden floor in his black dress socks. Aletta couldn't peel her eyes off of him. Finally, he turned around to meet her gaze and Aletta wanted to explode. He set a glass in front of her and poured carefully, then filled his glass. He remained standing, leaning on the island next to her.  
"This is good," she said with a tremble in her voice. His looks were intimidating. The way he looked at her with such intensity made her want to lose it, but she was sure he didn't realize it. He didn't seem to be aware of the affect he had on people.

Aletta's mind swam with every sip, and the thought of her beaten up car began to become less of a big deal by the second glass of Moscato. The two moved to the couch in the living room. She loosened up and started smiling and laughing again at Sid's stories, making Sid feel very comfortable and at ease. They talked about buying his apartment, stories about decorating and painting it, and everything else. They talked about hockey and Aletta's brothers, and he liked that she knew about the game. She could relate to him in that way and even sympathize with him about some things that came along with him playing for the Penguins. Before they knew it, it was going on eleven. He didn't want to bring up the car again, but he had to.

"So I'll get your car towed tomorrow and they'll take it to Oakland and fix it in the morning," he told her. He had talked to the shop where he usually got his car fixed up and made arrangements for it to be taken care of.  
"You're a lot of help," Aletta smiled an apologetic, but thankful, smile.  
"It's not a problem," Sid answered. The two held each other's gaze for a minute. It took a few moments for Aletta to realize she didn't have a way home or a place to stay, and her mind began to race. Sid spoke up. "You can stay here, I mean, since you can't drive your car…" he started, "or I can get you a taxi home if you'd rather that. I just figured it was easy for you to stay and get the car tomorrow instead of making the multiple trips. I could get you a hotel room if you want, too," his nerves started making him ramble. He felt weird asking her to stay, but he couldn't drive her home since he had been drinking. Immediately he felt bad.  
"Ok, yeah… it makes more sense... to stay I mean," Aletta said carefully. She wasn't sure it was the right thing to do but the wine was practically speaking for her. _He's probably so creeped out,_ she thought, _I am so embarrassed. Ha! This is great._  
"Good," Sid unknowingly interrupted her thoughts. The look of worry left his face and was replaced by relief. He let out a deep breath. "I should have asked you before we opened this bottle of wine," he chuckled and motioned with his head to the bottle sitting on the island countertop.. "It's snowing pretty badly now though, the roads are probably not too good" he reasoned. Aletta turned to look out of the huge windows at snowflakes the size of quarters covering the ground. Sid got up from the couch to pour another glass of wine. "Another?" he asked.  
"Well now that I'm stuck with you… I guess," she smiled in a joking manner and Sid laughed.  
"You're funny," he mused, "come on, I'll show you the rest of the place instead of sitting here. Since I'm boring you," he tried to hold a straight face but failed, and returned Aletta's friendly smile.


	6. 6: Nightfall

Aletta followed Sidney as she clutched her glass of wine in her right hand. Her nerves began to act up.  
"That's a bathroom and laundry room," Sidney said, pointing down the hallway next to the kitchen. "And this is the study," he opened up the double doors to the room below the loft. There was a desk with a black leather chair sitting at it, and shelves behind the desks that held some of Sidney's latest accomplishments. Before Aletta could admire the awards, Sidney began up the stairs, expecting Aletta to follow. He got to the top of the steps and turned around to watch Aletta as she gingerly made her way to him. A smile grew on his lips, a smile he couldn't seem to get rid of all night.  
"What," Aletta asked. She couldn't help but blushing and smiling back.  
"Nothing," Sidney said in a high pitched tone. There was an awkward pause. "Well this is the loft. My room," he clarified. The loft was a very spacey area with a high peaked roof. It looked out over the kitchen and living room. His queen size bed sat on the floor in the far right corner with a coffee table next to it. There was a bathroom on the left side of the room and the closet was the door next to the bathroom.  
"This is an awesome apartment for a single bedroom," Aletta complimented, "it just needs some decorating up here…" she elbowed Sid's side and his jaw dropped as he tried to act insulted.  
"Yeah I know, you're right," he admitted, "Do I look like I can decorate? Give me a break!" They both laughed. Aletta liked Sid's playful side, and wondered why he kept it cooped up. She gazed into his eyes as he spoke in a way that made him visibly hot and bothered. He chuckled nervously and ran a hand through his hair, loosening the gel and giving it a 'just rolled out of bed' look. Sidney cleared his throat and spoke up, "Tonight you can take the bed since it's the only one".  
"Oh, I don't need it, I can sleep on the couch," Aletta couldn't get the words out fast enough. _Sleep in his bed? I can't just sleep in his bed. Is he crazy, _she thought.  
"No it's not a problem, I want you to," he insisted. Before Aletta could answer he led her to the bathroom. "You can shower and change in here, tonight, in the morning, whenever," he offered with pleading eyes. He felt bad about her car. Aletta didn't know how to take this awkward situation but her buzz was helping her cope.  
"Well thank you, I'll probably take one tonight," she smiled. Sid went back into the loft area and dug in his chest of drawers, throwing various clothing on the bed; boxers, shorts, a white under shirt, abother pair of shorts and another white undershirt.  
"Here's some pajamas, if you want them," he handed her the shirt and shorts neatly stacked on one another, "They're the smallest ones I can find".  
"So hospitable," Aletta smiled and looked at the clothing then back at him. Sidney just let out a short chuckle and grabbed the remaining clothing off of his bed.  
"I'm gonna go change and stuff… you can shower if you'd like," he made his way toward the staircase and slowly began descending it. Aletta nodded and he was gone.

She looked around the room then turned on her heel and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. First, she set Sid's clothes on the countertop and downed the last of her wine. Her head swam as she gazed in the large mirror. She had forgotten how flattering the dress she wore was and turned red at the thought of Sidney checking her out. Quickly, she unzipped the back of it and hung it up on the hook on the back of the door. She wiggled her way out of her stockings and hung them up over the dress, then unhooked the clasp of her bra and took her matching panties off. _So much for wearing those,_ she thought as she hung up her undergarments, _I'm sleeping here but not having sex,_ she laughed inside. She hadn't been with a man in a long time. _How frustrating._  
She approached the shower and pulled the curtain back. The nozzles looked foreign to her, but she began to try to figure them out. She twisted the hot and cold nozzles back and forth for ten minutes trying to balance the temperature of the water. She started to get extra frustrated, on top of the frustrating thoughts of how she hadn't gotten laid since last winter and she was a decently attractive 22 year old girl in the prime of her life, and 'decently attractive' was an understatement in everyone else's book although she may not have realized it.  
"What the hell," she mumbled under her breath as the water began grazing the top of her head, wetting her hair.  
Downstairs, Sid sat on the couch watching TV. He noticed the clanging and squeaking noises coming from the bathroom and let it go for a few minutes. When it got louder, he ascended the stairs, running his hand up the banister as he walked. He quietly approached his bathroom door and listened closely. Aletta was obviously struggling with the temper mental shower faucet.  
"I should have mentioned that," he whispered. He took a breath, then knocked on the door. Aletta jumped.  
"Yeah," she said frantically, wrapping the navy blue towel hanging next to the shower around her naked body. She attempted to fix her hair, then approached the door and cracked it open.  
"I should have told you about the shower, it's tricky," he said, embarrassed. Aletta opened the door more and held her towel where it was fastened shut with one hand.  
"Yeah about that," she laughed nervously, then walked back over to the shower that was still running. He followed her. "I just can't get it to be warm," she attempted one more time to fix the problem, leaning over into the shower. Sidney watched as he stood behind her, her towel rose to the top of her thighs. Before it could go any further he placed his hand on her back.  
"Here, I'll get it," he said, reaching into the water. Aletta pulled back and watched as he fixed the problem. The tile below their feet had grown wet now, and Sid gripped the wall as he twisted the nozzles to the perfect positions. "There you go," he wiped his hands off on his shorts.  
"Thank you," Aletta said, looking at anything but his eyes. She was uncomfortable in her towel around him. Immediately, Sid knew to leave, and walked back towards the door where he couldn't help but notice the black panties hanging on the back of his door. Aletta stopped him. "Are you sure you want me to take your bed," she asked nervously, approaching him and watching her step.

All the thoughts about how she hadn't had sex in nearly 10 months made her want it. She had never felt like that before. She had never felt the burning desire to rip someone's clothes off until Sidney stood before her with his hair tousled from his shower and his muscles showing through his thin undershirt. She didn't know what she was trying to do, but the courage that the wine had given her and the raging hormones were driving her to do something, anything. She attempted to make conversation if only to be graced by his handsome presence for a second longer.

"I'm sure," Sid grinned, and his brow furrowed. Aletta stood before him now and bit her lip. She really had no idea what she was doing, and Sid could tell. He thought it was cute. He placed his arms on both sides of the door way to hold his weight and cocked his hip to one side, leisurely bending one of his knees, as he looked at her. Their faces were close now, and a strand of hair hung in front of Aletta's eye. Sid brought a hand down to tuck it behind her ear. "only if you're comfortable with it though," he practically whispered. His voice was softer now that they were closer, but it still had a certain rasp to it. Aletta looked up at Sidney's hazel eyes that had the look of a predator to its prey.  
_Kiss me!, _she screamed inside. She could hear her heart beat in her ears, the blood was coursing so ferociously through her veins. But Sid held his ground. His tongue appeared out of his mouth, sweeping across his bottom lip, and Aletta wanted to burst. She leaned forward and tilted her head up to catch his lips in hers. Aletta didn't have to lean much further, because with the slightest touch of her lips to his, Sidney leaned into her twice as far as she had leaned into him. His tongue timidly prodded at Aletta's lips, asking for entrance, which she granted. His tongue delved deeper into her mouth and gently played with hers. He removed his arms from the doorway and tangled his fingers in her hair. She placed her hands on his sides that were solid as a rock. She could feel how strong he was, and she could feel how tender he was with his kisses, and she didn't want it to end now that she was in the moment. Sid pulled back and watched as she opened her eyes and let the desire show in them without shame this time.  
"I'll be downstairs," he said, satisfaction radiating throughout his words. Aletta had lost her mind while his lips were on hers, but now that she could think a little straighter she was thankful it didn't go farther. She nodded and closed the door with a smile. _That wasn't so painful,_ she thought.

After her shower, Aletta grabbed the clothes off the counter that Sidney had given her. She slipped into his shorts and undershirt, leaving her clothes hanging on the hook, including her panties and bra. Her hair lay in wet strands on her shoulders and was soaking the shirt, making it see through. After combing her hair out with Sid's brush, she fled to the bedroom area where she found a sweat shirt hanging on his closet door. She slipped it on, making herself a little more decent. With one last look in the mirror of Sid's dresser, her and her bare feet made their way down the carpeted stairs. Sid heard her and twisted to see her.  
"I was cold… I hope you don't mind," Aletta blabbered, pulling on the navy blue reebok sweatshirt.  
"I don't mind," Sid answered calmly. He rose from the couch and walked over to Aletta who was froze on the last step. "You look better than me in my own clothes," he smiled a sultry smile.  
"What can I say," Aletta laughed softly with a sarcastic tone to her statement. Her breathing became uneven as he approached. She wanted to pounce but was stuck.  
"Are you hungry? I have yogurt, and fruit… and cereal… you can have anything you want," Sid said, changing his pathway to the fridge. His undershirt bunched up at his lower back where his back arched, and the material sat atop of his perfectly sculpted trunk.  
"I'd like some yogurt please," Aletta heaved herself onto the stool at the island and sat up straight, waiting to be served, knowing Sid didn't mind it.  
"Strawberry or Raspberry," Sid asked, his head in the fridge.  
"Mmm, Raspberry," Aletta decided. He grabbed a spoon out of the drawer nexto the fridge and set the yogurt and spoon in front of her, then leaned on the counter . "Thank you," Aletta smiled. Sidney admired the natural state she was in with her hair wet and makeup almost gone besides the tiny bit of black below her eyes from her mascara. Although they had only spent a small amount of time together, they clicked. He felt a connection and he felt that he was needed when he was around her. Maybe it was because she was younger than him, or maybe it was just their personalities, but he liked feeling that. The chemistry was there. Aletta ate the yogurt and let Sidney watch. If there was a way to eat yogurt slightly provocatively, she was doing it. She was getting to the bottom of the cup when Sidney peeled himself off the counter and walked around to the other side where she sat. When she was finished and satisfied, she dropped the spoon in the container and looked at him. It was like he was waiting impatiently for something. Before Aletta could turn herself Sidney did it for her. He wedged himself between her and dove in, covering her lips with a sensual kiss. Aletta's body went stiff initially, then relaxed, and his arms braced himself on both sides of the stool as he hunched over her. His hands moved to the top of her thighs, where he slid them down over the gym shorts to her knees and covered her tiny knee caps under his palm. Their lips broke apart and Aletta let out a shaky breath as Sid ran his hands back up her thighs, pushing the silky shorts up her leg a bit. Goose bumps grew on her legs.  
"Are you cold?" Sidney's voice became soft yet again. His hands continued to wonder up Aletta's body until they landed on her Side where she let out a squeal.  
"I'm ticklish! NO!" she pleaded. A fit of giggles ensued and Sidney's eyes lit up when he figured out her secret. He stopped after a moment to let her catch her breath. "Don't," she said playfully.  
"Ok, ok, I'll stop," Sid laughed. He stood with his head tilted to the side admiring her once more.  
"It's getting late," Aletta chimed. She looked at him apologetically. Her buzz was wearing off and she was beginning to become more cautious and less daring, naturally. Sidney knew what she was getting at, and understood.  
"You're right," he patted Aletta's thighs once and backed off. He picked up Aletta's spoon and yogurt and threw the spoon in the sink and the yogurt in the trash.  
"Are you sure you'll be alright on the couch," Aletta asked, her eyebrows raised with concern.  
"I'll be perfectly fine," Sidney said. He made his way over to the couch and Aletta hopped off the stool. She had one foot on the first step, and Sidney still stood by the couch, watching.  
"Night," Aletta smiled, looking over her shoulder.  
"Goodnight, sleep well," Sid replied. He shut the lights in the room off and plopped down on the couch as Aletta climbed the remaining steps.

When she got up to the loft, she pulled the down comforter down on Sid's bed. It smelled like him. She stood for a minute awkwardly looking at the bed, thinking about how bizarre the night had turned out to be. Finally, she reached for the lamp on the coffee table, turned it off, and snuggled under the massive covers. She pressed her cheek to his pillow, taking in the thought of his kiss and impeccable body. Meanwhile, downstairs, Sid was doing the same thing under his measly two throw blankets and couch pillow. He didn't mind, though. Aletta soon drifted off to a peaceful heavvy slumber, and Sid went in and out of sleep all night, but he was a light sleeper to begin with.

When the sun began to rise, Sid shot up ready to go. He had a workout at Southpointe at 8:00 and was to be on the ice at 11:00. In order to not wake Aletta, he got a shower in the downstairs bathroom, but was soon met with the problem of clothing, which was all in his room. Clad in a black, wet towel wrapped around his waist, he crept up the stairs and carefully approached his dresser. He saw Aletta curled up under his blankets and a felt a strange pang of satisfaction within.  
Being sure not to make noise, Sid slid the drawer of t-shirts out of its place and grabbed the first one he saw. He did the same for the shorts, then grabbed his gym bag next to the dresser and headed back downstairs. After changing and grabbing a protein shake and yogurt to go, Sidney scribbled down a note for Aletta and left it on the island.

_Aletta,  
I had practice but I'll be back around 2. Your car is getting taken in at 8. They told me it'll be ready around 1. I figured I could drive you to get it when I get back, but if that changes, just shoot me a text. Hope you slept well. Feel free to eat anything for breakfast, take a shower, whatever you need to do.  
-Sid_


	7. GO PENS! :)

Hey guys! Or should I say girls :) Just updating to express my excitement for todays game! Lets hope the Pens pull out a W. Also, being that it's gameday and I have a long weekend, I will be updating sometime during this coming week, so look for a new chapter then! Have a good Saturday night everyone, party hard... oh, and go Pens!


	8. 8: Hesitations

Aletta breathed deeply through her nose, taking in Sidney's scent, and immediately became familiar with where she was once again. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched out her legs as she turned over on her back. After getting her bearings, she sat up in the bed. She observed how quiet the apartment was, and glanced at the clock on the night stand. It was 10:50 in the morning. Despite the pin-drop quiet, Aletta swung her legs out of bed and went to the bathroom. She ran her fingers through her hair that had been tossed into a mess throughout the night, and then splashed some water on her face. She dug in her purse that was still sitting on the bathroom countertop, and pulled out her brush and powder, then applied a few dabs to her cheeks and forehead. She figured she'd better get out of Sid's clothes, so she removed her clothing for the night before from the hook on the bathroom door and slid out of his silky gym shorts and undershirt. The outfit was a little outrageous for the middle of the afternoon, but she didn't have much of a choice, and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Finally, Aletta made her way downstairs after popping in a stick of gum, only to find that Sidney's blankets were folded on the couch and he didn't seem to be home. She scanned the room and noticed the slip of paper on the island. After reading it, it made sense that he wasn't home. _He's probably extremely busy,_ she thought, and immediately tried to shove the thought of number 87 out of her head. She was finding that she didn't like to think of him as a superstar, because it scared her in a way. It was weird to her, and she knew nothing about being in cahoots with an athlete whatsoever. After getting to know him, the superstardom didn't match his personality; he acted like anything but the icon that people made him out to be. _It's enough having to stay in this foreign apartment…_ she continued within her mind. Staying at Sid's was very weird for her, and had her thinking about how ready she really was to date again. Was she ready? She wasn't sure. It was just another thing that frightened her. _Don't get ahead of myself,_ she told herself, and rubbed her forehead with her right hand.

The next thing Aletta had on her mind was her car. Without a second thought, she picked up her cell phone and brought up Jaclyn's number. She pressed send with her trembling finger. It rang three times.  
"Hello beautiful," Jaclyn answered with a cheery voice.  
"Hi Jac," Aletta smiled through the phone, "You won't believe what sort of unfortunate events happened to me last night".  
"…tell me," Jaclyn ordered.  
"My car got hit. It was parked on the street," Aletta started, "So it had to get towed, I had no way home."  
"Oh my god! That is horrible. What'd you do," Jaclyn sounded sincerely sympathetic. There was a pause on the line. "Aletta what'd you do…"  
"Sidney got it towed," Aletta explained.  
"Where'd you sleep is the question," Jaclyn was growing impatient. Another pause.  
"At Sidney's apartment," Aletta spat it out like a bad taste in her mouth.  
"What," Jaclyn asked calmly. "Oh my," the pitch of her voice got higher, "OH MY".  
"Jac, focus," Aletta said sternly, trying not to laugh, "Now my car is towed and I need you to come get me so I can get it," she explained.  
"No," Jaclyn answered.  
"What," Aletta couldn't believe Jaclyn would just say no to a situation like this. "Why no".  
"Aletta, I know that Sidney offered to take you. I'm not a dumb ass," she chuckled, "unless he's that much of a dick." There was yet another pause, because Aletta didn't know what to say. "Is he?"  
"No…" Aletta hesitated. She stared at the note scribbled in Sid's handwriting. The words of Sidney's impending arrival at 2:00 came down on her like 1000 pounds. She didn't know why she wanted to leave and have this be over, because when she was with Sidney she had really enjoyed herself. He had made her feel a way she hadn't in a long time. But now, she just wanted to go back to her life, back to her familiar apartment and her familiar routine. Her stomach turned again and again. "Come on Jac, please…"  
"Let him take you. I don't get why you're acting this way. Dating is always awkward no matter what Aletta, sometimes you just need to do it," Jaclyn explained. Aletta thought for a moment.  
"I don't like this," she said stubbornly.  
"You need to get out of your comfort zone," Jaclyn shot back. "How was the date anyway?"  
Aletta walked around the island to the living room and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "We went to this Italian Restaurant in Shady Side," she began, "that's why I left my car here, 'cause he drove." She waited for a comment from Jaclyn, but none came so she continued. "Then, we came back here. And when I was walking to my car I noticed the massive dent in the back end and my bumper was hanging off the car onto the ground," she ended the sentence punctuating her last few words so that they cut like a knife.  
"Well…. And then," Jaclyn pried.  
"And then he invited me up to his apartment. He called the police. We drank some wine, and that was that," she finished rather abruptly.  
"You're killing me," Jaclyn begged for more. She knew her too well.  
"I got a shower and went to bed," Aletta chuckled, "in his bed… and his clothes…"  
"You had sex," Jaclyn said in disbelief. "Well then… wow. Did not expect that oh my god." Before Jaclyn could have a meltdown, Aletta interrupted her wild train of thought.  
"No! We didn't. He gave me clothes. And he gave me his bed. He slept on the couch," she clarified. "I felt bad."  
"This is juicy stuff," Jaclyn said in a half-joking manner. "Just let him take you to get your car… Where is he?"  
"Apparently he had practice and he'll be back at two. He left a note."  
"Great! Have some breakfast, get some coffee around the corner, ya know. Just relax, and wait for his arrival, then jump on him like a lioness on a piece of meat," Jaclyn instructed.  
"Jac!"  
"Ok sorry I got a little ahead of myself. But seriously, just calm yourself. It's normal to feel uncomfortable, but just give the guy a chance," she smiled.  
"Alright, I will.. Fine," Aletta gave in, realizing Jaclyn was right. Maybe she was freaking herself out a little bit.  
"Oh. Did you kiss him," Jac's eyebrows rose on the other end of the phone.  
"Yeah," Aletta answered quietly. "Twice".  
"Get it girl."  
Aletta laughed, "stoppp," she pleaded.  
"Never! I need to go, but call me when you're back home," Jaclyn concluded.  
"Ok, sounds good, I'll talk to you later. Thank you Jac," Aletta thanked her with sincerity. She appreciated having a friend there to talk her down.  
"No problem, call me". And with that, Aletta heard the click on the other line, and removed the cell phone from her ear.

Still seated on the couch, she wondered what she could do for the two hours and thirty minutes she had to kill. She was hungry, but she didn't want to eat Sid's food. She felt bad. After glancing around the room a few more times, marinating in the lonely silence of it, she went to the door and slipped her delicate feet into the heels she had worn last night. After shrugging her coat onto her shoulders, she strutted over to the kitchen counter and grabbed her purse, then let herself out the door that led down to the garage. She remembered Sidney punching in a number on the keypad outside the door, and noticed that he had an alarm on the house. It was armed automatically. Without a second thought, she went down the stairs to the garage and let herself out the next door.

Aletta walked down the street in her dressy outfit, feeling a little out of place but ignoring it as best she could. She walked down Sidney's street and looked up and down East Carson that was buzzing with cars, like always. She pondered which direction to take as she peered this way and that, looking quite indecisive. Finally, she decided on making a left. She continued walking down the sidewalk until she approached the cafe she was somewhat familiar with; Brueggers. Pushing on the door, she let herself in and stepped up to the counter, ordering a Columbian roast coffee with room for cream.

She sat at a table by the window as she stirred her cream and sugar into the scolding hot cup of coffee. When the contents dissolved, she sat some more and gazed out the window at the scenic city scape covered in the fluffy white of winter. She only disrupted her thoughts to take a small sip of the contents in her cup, and her tongue smacked her lips after each hot sip, making them plump and red. She was quite comfortable sitting in the café staring out the window at the life outside. She ran her fingers up and down her opposite hand that was wrapped around her coffee, and enjoyed the peaceful arrangement she had set up for about a half hour. Halfway through the cup, a sign across the street caught Aletta's eye. It was a small bookstore. It had a "Lets Go Pens" sign in the window, and it had a Sidney Crosby poster next to it.  
_No,_ Aletta averted her eyes from the poster that beckoned her. She stared down at the yellow table in front of her. Her eyes fluttered back to the picture of Sidney hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head. _Christ,_ she gave in, stood up, and pushed her chair in. Snapping her lid on the coffee that remained, she picked it up and took it with her out onto the street. When the coast was clear, Aletta crossed the busy street with quickness in her step and glanced at the Penguins signs once more before darting out of the cold and into the quaint shop.

Sidney had just gotten off the ice in a hurry. He did a few interviews in the locker room, just as he usually did, then jumped at the chance to tear his gear off. After removing his padding, he took a quick shower and walked back to his stall with a white towel wrapped around his waist and his bottle of body wash in his hand. He ran one of his hands through his wildly curly, wet hair a few times in an attempt to tame it.

"Where are you off to pal," Pascal Dupuis asked with his eyebrows raised high on his head.  
"Home," Sidney laughed. He reached to the cubby above his bench and pulled out the gym bag, removing clean clothes.  
"You look like a bat out of hell, Sid," James Neal, another teammate, chimed in and patted Sid on his shoulder. "Hot date, eh," he joked.  
Sidney chuckled again, shaking his head, "yeah," he played along. His cheeks began to flush at the thought of Aletta at his apartment, and he ducked his head under his shirt as he slipped his arms into it. He pulled his jeans on and tightened his belt around his waist, then threw his shoes on and slung his gym bag over his shoulder. It was a short walk out to his Range Rover with the exception of a few stops for autographs. When he finally sunk into the leather seat of his driver's seat, the clock on the dash read 1:50. "Fuck," he mumbled, sticking the key in the ignition and turning. Despite the fact that he was running a little late, Sid kept his cool navigated his way home like any other day. Coldplay came softly through the speakers, interrupting the loneliness of the ride. His mind wondered to the memories of last night, and his pants tightened at the thought of Aletta; kissing her, her in a towel, her sleeping in his bed.

Sid arrived and pulled into his garage without any hesitation. He went straight up the stairs, entered the code into the keypad outside the door, and turned the doorknob to his apartment. Except, when he walked in, he was immediately hit with disappointment. His face fell as he scanned the room and Aletta was gone. He walked over to the island, there was no note. He walked up the stairs, his bed was made and Aletta wasn't there either. Sidney, completely befuddled, slowly walked back down the stairs. He threw his car keys on the countertop in the kitchen and placed his elbows on the granite, supporting his weight so that he could lean on it. He came to terms with the fact that Aletta left, and although the feeling of discouragement was still prominent, he wasn't surprised.

Aletta was looking at the romance section of books, experiencing some kind of confusion at that same  
moment. She had read the back of about 30 books. They were dusty, she had noticed. _Why would anyone like to read this, _she reasoned, _you can't blame them. It's like some kind of cruel torture method._ Her nose wrinkled at the thought of reading about the relationship she didn't have and a love she would probably never find. Strangely enough however, she had been attracted to this section for some reason. Something drew her to it. And she had been attracted to this hole-in-the-wall bookstore by a picture of Sid The Kid himself– Imagine that. She smiled to herself at that thought. _Funny how things work, _she mused. _I look ridiculous. _Snapping out of her trance with romance novels, Aletta pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the time.

"Shit," she spat. Immediately, she shoved the book in her hand, Wuthering Heights, back into a crevice between two books on the crooked shelf. She practically ran out of the bookstore, across the street and past all the store fronts and coffee shops. She finally stumbled upon the intersection of East Carson and Lincoln, and continued on the path to Sidney's apartment. Finally, slightly out of breath, Aletta approached the door that lead into the garage, but when she tried to turn the doorknob it wouldn't budge. His car was in the garage, so instinctively she found her phone and called his number. Six rings later, she was told to leave a message but declined, pressing the end button. She took a deep breath and dropped her purse to the ground. Yet again, she found herself gazing up and down the city street in the blistering cold. Her breath came out in small puffs of white as a feeling of defeat and confusion washed over her. _One more time,_ she said to herself, her tiny fingers working on the touchscreen of her iPhone. She pressed the device to her ear and counted the rings. 1…. 2….. 3… 4….. 5. _Oh well. _She gave up, and started walking back in the direction she had come from.

"Aletta," a voice from behind her pierced the winter air. It was deep and raspy, but smooth. Aletta lit up. She stopped in her tracks and turned around, both her hands clutching her purse in front of her stomach.  
"Sid," she breathed, "I'm sorry, I went for coffee and got caught up.. I called you," She didn't know whether to walk toward him, so she stayed planted where she was with her high heels close together. He threw the trash bag he was holding into the black can by the door.  
"It's alright, my phone is still in my gym bag," he smiled, "I thought you left," his voice's pitch heightened.  
"No," Aletta laughed, shaking her head at the silly thought. _How could I leave_. Her mind turned to a ball of mush as soon as she saw him.  
"C'mon, it's cold," Sidney waved her over, and she hurried herself to the doorway, where he let her in and followed close behind. "Do you want to go get your car? It's supposed to be ready."  
"Yeah, I should," Aletta answered softly.

With that, the two climbed into the Range Rover. Aletta searched her mind for something to start a conversation.  
"I went into that bookstore across the street from Brueggers," she began, "It was and interesting little place".  
"Oh yeah? That's a great place. I've gotten books there," Sid answered, his eyes focused on the road as they navigated their way out of South Side. His left hand was draped over the steering wheel and his right elbow was propped up on the middle console.  
"Do you like to read?," Aletta asked with her eyes focused on his face, admiring him in all his concentration.  
"I read on road trips a lot, yeah," he shrugged. Aletta wanted to say something about the shrine of Penguins memorabilia in the front window, but refrained. He didn't need to know. "What about you," he asked.  
"I do from time to time," she smiled, turning her focus towards the road outside her window.

The drive was spent talking about books and sharing interests. The two laughed with each other, and Sidney soaked in every second of Aletta's presence, as she did his. He had been disappointed when he thought she had left, but when he unexpectedly discovered her outside his apartment, he had a butterfly-like feeling in the pit of his stomach; something he hadn't felt in a while. He felt like he had just been going through the motions all this time, and was just realizing it now due to this being that was suddenly throwing off his normal routine and normal every day emotions. When he finally pulled up to the shop to pick up Aletta's car, Aletta sat in the warmth of the Range Rover and waited as he walked toward the building to talk to the mechanic. "Wait in here, I'll make sure it's ready to go," he told her, smiling politely. Truth be told, every step he took toward the building had a certain hesitance to it.

"Hi," he nodded to the man working on cars when he walked through the door. The old man got off the floor, making his way toward Sid. His hands were greasy and the overalls he had on were covered in various fluids.  
"Name?" he asked, looking at the wall of keys hanging on the wall above the workbench.  
Sidney cleared his throat and spoke up, "Crosby." The man plucked a ring of keys off one of the top hooks and turned around toward Sid, handing them over to him. In return, Sid held out a credit card which the man accepted, running it through a scanner next to the cash register on the workbench.  
"Thanks," Sid mumbled and smiled, taking the card back and signing the receipt after the transaction was done.  
"The car's right out the door and to the left," the old man smiled. Sidney nodded. He turned around and pushed through the door, spotting Aletta in the passenger seat of his car looking in the opposite direction out her window. She was watching the light snow that had just began to fall. He averted his gaze to the gravel below and continued toward the car.


	9. Busy Busy Busy

Hi everyone! I know I've been taking a while to post the last few chapters, but I AM working on the next one. I'm sorry to keep you waiting! School is chaotic! I assure you though, I will update ASAP and I'm making the chapters longer now so you'll have lots to read :)

Sorry for the wait! Stay tuned!


	10. 10: Chemistry

Sidney approached Aletta's car door, his eyes set on hers. He reached for the handle, opening the door for her and handing her the keys to her car.  
"It's right over there," Sid turned and pointed to the lot behind him, forcing a smile despite Aletta's impending departure.  
"Thank you," Aletta mirrored his smile as she unbuckled herself and took the keys. She slid out of the passenger seat and onto the snow covered ground, "for everything," she added. She couldn't help but blush, but was thankful for the wintery wind that was nipping at her nose and disguising her flushed cheeks.  
"My pleasure," Sid chuckled. The two walked over to her car, Sid with his hands in his jean pockets and Aletta wrapping her coat around her tightly. The gravel was hard to walk on in heels and she struggled across the lot with great caution in every step. "Here," Sid offered his arm. Aletta gladly accepted. She latched onto his muscular bicep with both hands and allowed him to help her across the lumpy rocks. They came to her car and Sid opened up her door for her once again. _  
Oh my god, why are you perfect,_ Aletta thought in the silence of her mind. "Thanks," she said quietly, climbing into her driver's seat. She folded her hands in her lap and directed her focus to Sid, who was leaning on the open door, his right hand still buried in his pocket. There was silence.  
"You hungry?" Sidney looked up, raising his eyebrows. Aletta froze. She glanced at the dashboard, it was almost 4:00.  
"Are you?" she smiled up at him with the same questionable look on her face.  
"Yes," he grinned. She could have melted right then and there, she thought. "I'll make you something, come back to my place," his voice was low and raspy, yet inviting and irresistible. He gave Aletta no option but to say yes, seeing as it looked as though he wouldn't take no for an answer.  
"I'd like that," she blushed, looking down at her hands, then mustering the courage to look back into his eyes that were burning holes into hers. She was starting to get self-conscious considering she looked like she had practically rolled out of her bed with her hair strewn here and there. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were flushed with that "just rolled out of bed" look, and Sidney was enjoying it. After he thought she had left earlier, he realized that how much he enjoyed spending time with her.  
"Ok just follow me," he grinned wider, and un-wedged himself from in between her door and her car. After receiving an approving nod from Aletta, he closed the door and walked back across the lot with the collar of his coat flipped up and his hands in his pockets to keep warm. Aletta watched him as his athletic figure strode across the snowy gravel.  
_How did I get this lucky,_she couldn't help but have this thought spinning around in her head, despite her efforts to block it out. _Is this ever going to end, _was her next thought. The truth was that she wasn't sure she wanted it to, though.

Sidney peered out his window at Aletta's car working to warm itself up. Aletta put the car in drive, seeing that Sid was ready to go, and made her way through the snow, and Sidney did the same. He headed toward the exit and pulled out onto the street with Aletta close behind, frequently checking his mirrors to make sure she was alright.

When the two finally got to Sidney's apartment, which Aletta was quickly becoming familiar with, Sidney put his car in the garage, and Aletta parked hers on the street just outside of his garage. Sidney got out of the car and waited for Aletta as she walked around her car and into the shelter. She just kept smiling at him.  
"What?" Sidney smiled suspiciously back at her.  
"Nothing," Aletta giggled. She didn't know why she couldn't stop smiling, but it was better than frowning so she embraced it.  
"You give me that look a lot, I can't tell what you're thinking," Sid laughed. He paved the way through the garage and up the stairs, opening the door to his apartment.  
"Would you rather me frown," Aletta put on her best angry face and looked at Sid, who laughed some more.  
"No, please, I like your smile," his soft eyes brought her pearly whites back as the friendly smile returned to Aletta's face, and he lightly drug his hand across her lower back before turning and walking into the kitchen. Aletta's stomach buzzed with butterflies. "What would you like," Sid questioned, using his arms to support himself against the kitchen countertop.  
"What are my options," Aletta asked in a sultry tone. It was amazing how a single touch made her quiver with desire. He made her feel sexy.  
"Well…" Sidney watched her as she strutted across the hardwood in her blood red heels, then turned his attention to the fridge. "Pasta, chicken, any vegtable you want, fruit, anything," Sidney turned around to find Aletta leaning on the Island, her backside subtly on display for him. He couldn't help but look, and Aletta couldn't help but notice. He averted his eyes and his cheeks reddened the slightest bit. Aletta found it cute, and deep down, she wished he would capitalize on his wondering eye. "Anything you want," he interrupted her thoughts, and his voice cracked at the end of the sentence. He quickly cleared it.  
"What do you wanna make," Aletta straightened up and took a look in the fridge alongside Sid.  
"Chicken," Sid blurted.  
"Chicken," Aletta repeated, stifling her giggles. "Lets make chicken then".  
"I'll make it," Sidney insisted. He reached for the chicken breast sitting on the shelf, and put it on the counter. Aletta let him have his way.  
"Ok," she backed off, making herself comfortable on a stool at the island. She wanted to burst as she watched him cut the chicken up and remove a frying pan from the drawer under the stove. He ignited the fire on the stove, and placed the pan on it with some extra virgin olive oil inside of it. He threw in the strips of chicken and they began to crackle and pop in the oil. Aletta could tell he was good at cooking. She hopped down off her stool and stood at the end of the counter with her arms folded in an un-confrontational way.  
"You're making me nervous," Sid smirked, glancing over at her figure standing a few feet away from him as he worked his magic.  
"I'm sorry," Aletta let out a breath, realizing how stupid she looked. "I'm rude," she giggled. She took a step into the kitchen area, intending to make her way into the living room, but before she could take another Sid stuck his hand out and caught her at the waist.  
"No, stay," he pleaded. Another smiled dawned Aletta's face as she lit up.  
"Let me help," she bargained, "please?"  
"Alright," Sidney gave in, setting up a pot full over water on the stove. "You watch this," he gestured toward the chicken sizzling in the pan, "I'll do the pasta," he concluded. _Do me. _Aletta couldn't help letting the sexual innuendo cross her mind, and she stifled her laughter, forcing it to stay hidden. She wondered what had gotten into her. Distracting her dirty mind, she grabbed the fork off the counter top and checked the chicken which was beginning to brown. That's when she noticed that pan was off center on the flame. Sidney was busy opening the box of pasta, getting ready to pour it into the boiling pot of water. Naturally, Aletta reached for the handle of the frying pan in an attempt to place it over the flame. Her palm came down on the handle, which she quickly noticed was metal. The wake up call she received was more than enough to make her realize that the metal handle had become extremely hot on the stove.  
"AHH!" she squealed in a high pitch, alarming tone. Sidney dropped the box of pasta he had been fiddling with on the countertop and immediately swung around to see Aletta bent over, holding her left hand in her right. He came to her side and crouched down to her level, taking her hand and looking at it.  
"Are you ok? You shouldn't have touched that! I'm sorry," he immediately took the blame after thinking it through.  
"I'm ok," Aletta managed to squeak, and forced a smile to convince him. Her hand was turning red. Sidney stood up and led her to the sink, where he turned on cold water, and pulled a wash cloth out of the drawer.  
"Here," he said, wetting the wash cloth with icy water and laying it on Aletta's throbbing hand. "That'll be a bad one," Sidney said, his voice heavy with regret.  
"I'm a klutz," Aletta admitted, her eyes welling up as the freezing water seared her burnt palm. She held her smile and avoided eye contact with Sid, although his eyes pleaded for hers to meet them. She wouldn't let herself show him her tears that were on the verge of spilling over. She didn't know what was worse, the pain or the embarrassment.  
"Aletta," Sidney prodded. There was silence. His eyes cut deep into the top of her head. Reluctantly, Aletta looked up at Sidney. It was becoming awkward. She couldn't hold it in anymore. A tear escaped out of the corner of her eye, and Sidney turned to mush inside.  
"It hurts like a mother fucker," Aletta broke the awkward silence, letting out a laugh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched that. I don't know what I was thinking," she held the tight smile on her lips and Sid wiped the streaming tear off with his finger. He didn't respond, he looked at her with the same expression of surprise, sympathy, happiness, all mushed up into a stupid little grin. "What," Aletta giggled. The pain began to lessen. Sidney shook his head and took the wash cloth off of her hand, running it under the water again to refresh it. He pressed it to her palm once more, and held it there. Then, nonchalantly, he leaned in and connected his lips to hers as if he had kissed her a million times. Aletta was surprised. She stiffened, then melted into him, letting herself go limp like putty in his hands as he started working his lips over hers. He sensed her comfort. Holding her left, injured hand with his right hand, he guided it up to his shoulder and rested the damp wash cloth against his back, leaving her hand on it. His left arm came around her back, and pulled her in closer, pressing her long, thin body against his muscular core. His left hand slid down her back, and stopped just above her backside. She screamed inside for him to keep going, and she pressed her hips into him harder, tightening her grip with her left arm around his shoulder, and bringing her right hand up to the wild curls atop his head. She gently took a handful and clutched it. After this signal, Sidney continued with his right hand down her back side, squeezing it as he slid over it. But he didn't stop there. His hand continued sliding down until it came to her thigh. He ran his hand down the back of her right thigh, and hiked it up onto his hip. This pushed her dress up and triggered goose bumps on her now bare thigh that was wrapped around his pelvic area. Sidney moved his lips off of Aletta's, letting them wonder to the space just below her ear and downward. The goose bumps became more intense, and her breathing became shallow as she tipped her head to the side, exposing her vulnerable neck and collar bone to his warm, soft lips. The water still ran in the back ground and the stove was still on. Sidney, still holding onto Aletta's thigh, in one swift motion, he turned Aletta against the counter and lifted her onto the countertop and got a glimpse of her black lace panties peaking out from beneath her black dress. He wedged further in between Aletta's legs, letting out a breath into the crook of her neck and resuming his work on her exposed collar bone. He reached to the stove and twisted the knobs until they clicked off and Aletta couldn't help but let out a quiet giggle. Obviously the food was the last thing on their minds.

Aletta wrapped her legs around Sidney, and unexpectedly, Sidney looked at Aletta and spoke up.  
"Get on," he turned around to signal a piggy back, looking back at Aletta with a crooked grin. Aletta wasn't going to argue. She slid off the counter and onto Sidney's back. Sid held her legs tightly and she held onto his neck as tight as she could without strangling him.  
"Y-You can't carry me up these stairs," Alletta stammered nervously. Sure enough, Sidney ascended the stairs with Aletta on his back.  
"I'm offended," Sidney chuckled. Aletta lightly hit him on the shoulder and giggled some more. When they got to the top of the steps, Sidney brought them over to his bed in the corner, and dropped Aletta on it. She laid sprawled on his white comforter as he stood overhead. She smiled euphorically. He was so handsome; broad shoulders, dark curls, the most athletic body she had ever laid eyes on let alone touched, and this was happening. She almost had to pinch herself. Sidney crawled onto the bed and encaged Aletta between his arms, nudging his right knee between her legs. He sat overtop of her, looking at her, with his arms supporting his upper body. He looked genuinely happy as Aletta studied his chisled features and golden hazel eyes that were studying hers in return. A smile grew on Sid's face, and Aletta couldn't contain herself any more. She pounced.

To be continued.


End file.
